Decolonizing Minds

European colonialism had a major impact on African societies and its effects are still felt today. Even with the struggles for independence after World War II the weight of colonial rule is still present especially in the field of culture. The decolonization of minds was a challenge taken up by many intellectuals of African origin. Cinema became an important tool in this process with the proposal for an African Cinema emerging for the first time in the former French West Africa during the 1960s. This work analyzes the film production of Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène during this period. His approach to cinema and his activism influenced many African artists and intellectuals and his search for an aesthetic that rejected European and Hollywood standards is considered by many to be the foundation of what came to be known as African cinema. The present work aims to contribute to the analysis of the elements that make up this aesthetic proposal and the debate on the possibility of an African cinema.